Pile structure



June 16, 1964 1.. MULLER I 3,

FILE STRUCTURE Filed March 23, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 51 Inventor? 2am fihvz a Arron/v5 June 1964 L. MULLER 3,137,140

PILE STRUCTURE Filed March 23, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lg! J r' r 3,137,140 Ice Patented June 16,1964

3,137,140 PILE STRUCTURE v Ludwig Miiller, Heinrich-Heine-Strasse 41,

Marburg (Lahn), Germany Filed Mar. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 17,086 Claims priority, application Germany Apr. 6, 1959 5 Claims. (Cl. 61--53.5).

The present invention relates to a pile to be driven permanently into the ground, and more particularly to a pile structure comprising a hollow pile shaft and a pile foot of wider peripheral outline than the pile shaft and secured to one end thereof.

Special problems arise when a pile structure as herein referred to, is to be driven into ground below a body water. There is the danger that cementitious material fed down the pile shaft and into the foot to form a jacket encasing the shaft to anchor the pile within the ground, will flow out into the water or into the water logged silt strata at the bottom of the body of water.

Accordingly, it is the broad object of the invention to provide a novel and improved pile structure which is particularly suitable for driving into the ground below a body of water.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a novel and improved pile structure which impedes dissipation of cementitious material fed down the shaft into the water or into the silt strata so that the material can perform its purpose to encase the shaft portion extending into the ground below the bottom and to compact the surrounding soil strata.

Another more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved pile structure which permits a two-stage driving operation, the first stage residing in creating a solid plug within the ground strata just below the bottom of water to constitute an upper closure for the anchoring jacket to be formed and the second stage residing in driving the pile shaft to the desired depth while maintaining said plug stationary and feeding cementitious material down the hollow pile shaft to form said jacket.

Still another specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved pile structure which includes a tubular shaft jacketing the pile shaft portion extending through the body of water after the completion of the driving operation to protect said shaft portion from corrosion and to reinforce the same.

It is further an object of the invention to provide coaxial with said plug, preferably secured thereto, a depending sealing sleeve which encompasses the leading portion of the pile, especially the foot thereof. The purpose of the sealing sleeve is to assure that the soil mass confined withinthe sealing sleeve, which soil may be very loose especially near the bottom of the body of water, is compacted so that the cementitious material will not flow out into the loose soil but remain substantially concentrated to form the anchor encasing the part of the pile driven in the ground.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a second, upwardly extending sealing sleeve which is secured to the aforesaid sleeve and can be Withdrawn jointly with the aforesaid sleeve after completion of the driving operation and filling the cavity between the shaft and the second sleeve with cementitious material.

According to yet another object of the invention the plug can be used as an abutment for an upwardly extending hollow shaft disposed coaxial with the pile shaft proper. The outer tubular shaft can then be used as driving shaft.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims forming part of the application.

In the accompanying drawing several preferred embodiments of the invention are shown by way of illustra tion and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational sectional view of pile structure according to the invention showing the pile in the position in which it has just reached the bottom of the body of water.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing an advanced stage of the driving operation.

FIG. 3 shows a still further advanced stage of the driving operation.

FIG. 4 showsthe completed pile structure.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and showing a modification of the pile structure, and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of the modification according to FIG. 5.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 through 4 in detail, the pile structure according to these figures comprises a hollow pile shaft 1 made of suitable material such as steel. A hollow pile foot 2 is secured to the leading end of shaft 1 by any suitable means. As can be seen in the figures, foot 2 has a wider peripheral outline in transverse direction than the pile shaft proper for the purpose of clearing an annular cavity about shaft 1 as the same is driven into the ground. The foot has a generally triangular longitudinal cross section and preferably terminates in a solid Wedge.

Suitable cementitious material such as concrete of appropriate consistency is fed down shaft 1 and into the hollow foot. from which it overflows into the surrounding soil to encase the pile shaft with the anchoring jacket shown in the figures. The concrete will also penetrate to a certain extent into the surrounding soil strata,-as is indicated by the ragged edge of the jacket, thereby compacting the same and keying the anchor within the ground.

The cementitious material is preferably fed at high pressure, and to effect the discharge thereof foot 2 and the lower part of shaft 1 are preferably formed with apertures of suitable size and location.

According to the invention a sealing collar composed of two axially superimposed ring members 4 and 5 encompasses shaft 1. A sealing bushing 6 within the collar seals shaft 1 against the two parts 4 and 5 of the collar and the parts are secured to each other by suitable anchor bolts 11. The shaft is longitudinally slidable within the sealing collar and at the beginning of the driving operation, the collar is seated on the shaft" directly-adjacent to foot 2, as shown in FIG. 1. A sealing sleeve 3 preferably secured to the periphery of the collar extends downwardly to about the level of the leading end of the foot in the initial stage of the driving operation shown in FIG. 1. To prevent the penetration of soil and silt into the hollow foot, an apron 12 made of thin sheet metal depends from the lower rim of the collar.

The driving operation proper is effected by means of a ramming or driving shaft 7, the leading end of which rests upon the upper rim of the collar and the trailing end of shaft 7 protrudes above shaft 1.

Let it now be assumed that a pile structure to be driven has been lowered into the position of FIG. 1 in which the whole structure rests upon ground capable of supporting the weight of the pile structure.

By applying a driving force to shaft 7 the entire pile structure is driven from the position of FIG. 1 into a position in which the upper rim of the sealing collar is substantially flush with the bottom of the body of water. As is evident, pile shaft 1 will remain substantially stationary in reference to the sealing collar since the driving force is applied directly to the latter.

Driving shaft 7 is then withdrawn and the driving force is now applied directly to shaft 1. Simultaneously, cementitious material is fed down the shaft and into the foot.

driving through the uppermost strata which are bound to V be the loosest ones. FIG. 2 also indicates that the apron 12 will bend itself out of. the way due to the resistance which it encounters. As the driving operation progresses from the position of FIG. 2 towards the position of FIG. 3 the wide foot clears a continuous cavity about shaft 1 which is filled with cementitious material as it is formed and which is safely and strongly closed at its upper end by the plug formed by sealing collar 4, 5.

In FIG. 4 it is assumed that the pile has reached the desired depth. To protect the upper part of the pile shaft extending through the water against corrosive and other aggressive action by water such as sea water, a tube 9 made of corrosion resisting. material is preferably fitted upon shaft 1 so that it rests with its lower end upon part in reference to the collar and the foot of the pile shaft to form a clearance about the pile shaft, the collar constituting an upper stationaryclosure member and the foot a lower movable closure member for said clearance as the driving of the pile shaft progresses.

2. A pile structure according to claim 1 and further comprising a sealing sleeve secured to said collar for 7 joint driving therewith, said sleeve depending from the 4 of the sealing collar. The cavity formed by tube '9 may 7 be filled with concrete as is indicated at 10.

The pipe structure shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is the same in principle as the pile structure according to FIGS. 1

through 4 except that a second, upwardly extending seal- 1 ing sleeve 8 is secured to the downwardly depending sealing sleeve 3. After the driving operation has been completed the sleeve assembly 3, 8 is .upwardly withdrawn as is shown in FIG. 6 and a corrosion resisting sleeve 9 may then be lowered as previously described.

While the invention has been described in detail with respectto certain now preferredexamples and embodiments of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to Letters Patent is:

1. A pile structure to be driven into the ground and anchored therein, said structure comprising a tubular pile shaft having outlets in its wall for discharging cementitious material fed into the shaft, an enlarged pile foot having alarger transverse, peripheral outline than the shaft secured to the leading end thereof, a sealing collar slidably fitted upon the pile shaft with a sealing fit and slidable into a position in which the collar abuts with its lower end against the upper end of said foot, said sealing collar including two annular axially superimposed ring members disposed coaxially with the pile shaft, a sealing bushing encompassing the pile shaft disposed within said ring members and anchoring means for securing said two parts together and a hollow driving shaft fitted upon the pile shaft in engagement with the upper end of said collar for driving the collar and the pile shaft jointly by applying a driving force to said driving shaft, application of a driving force to the pile shaft causing the pile shaft to be driven be secured by collar and toward the foot.

3. A pile structure according to claim 1 and further comprising a tubular shaft made of a material resistant to corrosive action by water, said tubular shaft jacketing the pile shaft portion above said collar and resting with one end upon the top side of said collar.

4. A pile structure according to claim 1 and further comprising a sealing-sleeve encompassing said collar coaxially therewith and .the shaft, said sleeve depending from the collar and toward the foot, and a second sealing sleeve secured to said first sleeve and extending upwardly encompassing the pile shaft part above said collar for joint withdrawal of both sleeves from the collar and along the pile shaft.

5. The method of driving a 'pile shaft into ground below a body'of'water and anchoring the shaft in said ground, said method comprising the steps of providing a pile structure including a hollow pile shaft having outlets for the discharge of cementitious material and terminating at its leading end in a foot of wider transverse peripheral outline than said shaft and a sealing collar freely slidable on the pile shaft during the entire driving thereof, positioning said collar near said foot, then applying a driving force directly to the collar driving the shaft and the collar jointly into the ground to a, depth at which the footand the collar both occupy positions just imbedded in a ground strata close to the bottom of the body of water, thereupon applying a driving force directly to the pile shaft for driving the pile shaft with the foot thereon to the desired depth, the pile shaft sliding within the collar and said collar remaining substantially stationary in the ground during said driving of the shaft for continually closing the upper end of the clearance formed by the pile foot, about the shaft as the shaft is driven, and feeding cementitious material down the shaft while the same is being driven in reference to the collar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 739,268 Shuman Sept. 15, 1903 822,589 Cummings June 5, 1906 2,080,493 Marsden May 18, 1937 2,086,213 Collord July 6, 1937 2,191,248 Cappel Feb. 20, 1940 2,857,213 Meier Oct. 21, 1958 2,874,548 Drushel Feb. 24, 1959 2,923,133 Muller Feb. 2, 1960 3,054,268 Muller Sept. 18, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 662,086 France Mar. 12, 1929 U-AULWFLQ 

1. A PILE STRUCTURE TO BE DRIVEN INTO THE GROUND AND ANCHORED THEREIN, SAID STRUCTURE COMPRISING A TUBULAR PILE SHAFT HAVING OUTLETS IN ITS WALL FOR DISCHARGING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL FED INTO THE SHAFT, AN ENLARGED PILE FOOT HAVING A LARGER TRANSVERSE PERIPHERAL OUTLINE THAN THE SHAFT SECURED TO THE LEADING END THEREOF, A SEALING COLLAR SLIDABLY FITTED UPON THE PILE SHAFT WITH A SEALING FIT AND SLIDABLE INTO A POSITION IN WHICH THE COLLAR ABUTS WITH ITS LOWER END AGAINST THE UPPER END OF SAID FOOT, SAID SEALING COLLAR INCLUDING TWO ANNULAR AXIALLY SUPERIMPOSED RING MEMBERS DISPOSED COAXIALLY WITH THE PILE SHAFT, A SEALING BUSHING ENCOMPASSING THE PILE SHAFT DISPOSED WITHIN SAID RING MEMBERS AND ANCHORING MEANS FOR SECURING SAID TWO PARTS TOGETHER AND A HOLLOW DRIVING SHAFT FITTED UPON THE PILE SHAFT IN ENGAGMENT WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID COLLAR FOR DRIVING THE COLLAR AND THE PILE SHAFT JOINTLY BY APPLYING A DRIVING FORCE TO SAID DRIVING SHAFT, APPLICATION OF A DRIVING FORCE TO THE PILE SHAFT CAUSING THE PILE SHAFT TO BE DRIVEN IN REFERENCE TO THE COLLAR AND THE FOOT OF THE PILE SHAFT TO FORM A CLEARANCE ABOUT THE PILE SHAFT, THE COLLAR CONSTITUTING AN UPPER STATIONARY CLOSURE MEMBER AND THE FOOT A LOWER MOVABLE CLOSURE MEMBER FOR SAID CLEARANCE AS THE DRIVING OF THE PILE SHAFT PROGRESSES. 